To study the role of chemical mediators in airway hyperresponsiveness and simultaneous eosinophilia, we examined effects of a potent 5-lipoxygenase inhibitor FR110302 and those of prednisolone, indomethacin, platelet-activating factor (PAF) antagonist (RP-59227) and leukotriene C4 (LTC4) antagonist (ONO-1078) on airway hyperresponsiveness and lung eosinophilia induced by Sephadex particles. Sephadex G200 particles (2.5 mg/kg) were injected intravenously to rats and 3 days later the airway hyperresponsiveness to acetylcholine (ACh) and the eosinophilia in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids were observed. FR110302 (10 mg/kg b.i.d.p.o.) significantly suppressed both of these indicators of asthma. The amounts of immunoreactive LTB4,C4 (i-LTB4, C4) in the BAL fluid were measured by radioimmunoassay. The amounts of i-LTB4,C4 in the FR110302-treated rats were significantly less compared with that in the Sephadex-injected controls. Prednisolone completely inhibited the airway hyperresponsiveness. PAF antagonist and LTC4 antagonist partially inhibited the airway hyperresponsiveness, and indomethacin had no effect. The results indicate that 5-lipoxygenase products play important roles in the Sephadex-induced airway hyperresponsiveness and lung eosinophilia in rats.